I Know You Still Love Her
by Loraya
Summary: Oneshot. FirexSandxSpotted. Why? she asked, throat dry. Why Leafkit?


**I Know You Still Love Her.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Warriors series, nor do I own the characters. So don't even think about suing me, or I shall kill you... MWAHAHAHA!**

**:D**

"They're beautiful, Sandstorm," murmured the fiery-orange tom, gently touching his nose to the sleepy she-cat's ear. "Just like you."

The pale ginger queen blinked up at the leader, Firestar, gazing into his forest-green eyes with love. Her heart swelled with affection and pride as Sandstorm looked back down at her two sleeping kits: one a light brown tabby with white paws, and the other with dark ginger fur. Both were she-cats.

A gray figure limped into the nursery, enormous blue eyes glowing in the dimness. It was Cinderpelt, Thunderclan's medicine cat, her jaws occupied with herbs.

"Eat these up, Sandstorm," Cinderpelt ordered after dropping the herbs and nudging them towards the pale she-cat. "The borage leaves will aid you with your milk supply."

Too tired to reply, Sandstorm merely bent her head and began chewing up the blue star-shaped flowers.

Firestar settled himself down, tucking his orange paws under his broad chest. He rested the tip of his tail on Cinderpelt's shoulder in gratitude and friendship before drawing his strikingly pink tongue over the head of the ginger kit, who mewled and snuggled further into her mother's warm belly.

The dark gray medicine cat gave her leader a look that implied, "I'll give you some time with Sandstorm, but you will have to leave soon, so she can rest," and moved on to the other queen in the nursery, Ferncloud.

Swiping her tongue over her lips, Sandstorm purred. "What shall we name them?" she asked, referring to the she-kits. "I say this one should be Squirrelkit." The beautiful cat lifted a paw and hovered it above the ginger one's body.

"A good name," agreed Firestar with a nod.

"As for this little ball of fur..." Sandstorm hesitated, staring at the tabby uncertainly. "Princesskit would be odd, so I don't think we can go for that," she joked.

Chuckling, the tom nodded again, realizing for the first time how much the white-pawed kit resembled his kittypet sister, Princess. "True." He thought for a minute, and a flash of tortoiseshell fur appeared in his mind. Lovely amber eyes sparkled. "Leafkit," Firestar then decided.

It didn't take long for it to dawn on Sandstorm. For a moment her heart stopped beating, and when it started up again, a terrible ache followed. "Why?" she asked, throat dry. "Why _Leaf_kit?" Though Sandstorm already knew _why_, she felt the need to hear it from her lover, no matter how agonizing the answer was.

Firestar looked away, his eyes squeezed shut. "Because..." he mewed reluctantly, his voice rough with pain. "Because I..."

"I know you still love her," Sandstorm choked out. "Spottedleaf, I mean." She inhaled sharply, let out a breath, and inhaled again, more deeply and slowly this time: an attempt to keep from showing how heartbroken she felt. Her stomach knotted tightly when Firestar didn't reply. "Please... leave... right now."

"Sandstorm," the tom said desperately, "I love _you_."

"But you also have feelings for the dead medicine cat," hissed the queen, her hackles rising.

Stiffening, Firestar took a few heartbeats to answer. "Yes," he finally meowed, "I do."

_No! No, StarClan, no! _mentally cried Sandstorm. Part of her had been expecting Firestar to deny it, but of course... Now all the she-cat wanted to do was leap out of the nursery and yowl her soul out to the heavens, where her warrior ancestors would be watching. But she remained rigid, keeping her green eyes fixed on the kits nestled into the curve of her stomach.

"But Spottedleaf is gone," continued her beloved tom; Sandstorm didn't move, didn't blink, didn't breathe. "And besides, she was a medicine cat. She and I... were never meant to be. Even though Spottedleaf will forever remain in my heart, you have a greater place in my life. You are my she-cat, a beautiful, strong warrior who has an attitude. And I thank you for everything you've done for me, Sandstorm. I love you so much."

Sandstorm pondered on what was said. Though the attitude comment made her feel a little irked, the rest of the short speech warmed her up, from ears to tail. "Oh, Firestar," she sighed. "I love you, too. You're my tom, a handsome, great leader who was once a pudgy kittypet."

Accepting the last few words as a comeback for revenge, Firestar pressed his muzzle against Sandstorm's.

Cinderpelt, who had been watching the whole scene in silence, got to her paws with some difficulty and left Ferncloud, who was dozing. "Time to go," she told the leader firmly.

"Yes, Cinderpelt," muttered Firestar, sulking his way out of the nursery.

With a roll of her eyes, the medicine cat shook her gray head. _Great StarClan, even Firestar has his moments, acting like a kit after being scolded by his mother. Sheesh!_

**A/N: This is by far the shortest story I've ever written... well, finished. -nod, cough- I was just thinking and messing around on the internet when I came up with the idea for this oneshot: The kits are born, Firestar names one of them Leafkit, and Sandstorm realizes he's still in love with Spottedleaf, bla bla bla. Anyway, I hoped you liked it! I did, even though I wish I could've made it more... detailed and with smarter words. Haha. **


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